Marketing and selling your custom book is much easier if you have an original, compelling product. Print books that are unique if you want to get noticed. Thousands of messages compete for our attention every day, so getting your target audience to take notice requires strategic planning.
Create something original with custom book printing ideas for:
Training Books
Workbooks
Children's Books
Comic Books
Cookbooks
Coloring Books
Photo Books
Art Books
Colored metal wire-o binding
Start by thinking about the physical construction of the book itself. If you're sifting through a rack or a pile of books for something interesting, what's going to pique your interest — a book that looks just like all the others, or a book that stands out?
Let's explore some options for custom book printing and binding that grab the eye and demand attention.
Custom Book Covers
"Don't judge a book by its cover," they say. But unfortunately, many people do just that. So make sure your cover makes a bold statement. Here are some ideas for custom printed book covers:
Metallic Covers
These mica-coated 100# Covers add a metal-like coating to the paper surface. Great for graphic novels, art/photo books, and children's books. Please note, the paper color does slightly affect the color tone of your cover art.
High Gloss C1S
This 12-pt cover stock has a high-gloss coating on the front, much like photo paper, while the back (inside cover) is uncoated. This is great for custom books with photos or bright colors/graphics on the cover.
Linen Covers
These 100# covers come embossed with a 3D cross-hatch pattern, reminiscent of linen cloth. Great for art books, sewing guides, craft books, scrapbooks, poetry books and more.
Plastic Covers
Choose from a selection of polyurethane and vinyl covers to add protection, color and style to your custom printed books.
Standard book sizes are standard for a reason, but that doesn't mean you should hold yourself to the same standard. Printing custom size books is a sure way to get noticed.
Square Books and Booklets
Square books are a great way to differentiate your content from the competitors. Square booklets are popular for coffee table books, art books, photo books, and designer catalogs, among others.
Pocket-Size Booklets
While a half sheet (5.5x8.5) is too large for most pockets, the 4.25x5.5 booklet size is perfect. Pocket-sized books work best with saddle stitch binding but can also accommodate other binding types; just be aware of the thickness/page count if you want them to fit comfortably.
Landscape Books
Printing books landscape is a great option for children's books, art and photography books, scrapbooks and other artistic works.
Skinny Books
We can custom cut printed books to almost any size, which opens up creative avenues for artists and self publishers to express themselves in unusual size formats. Consider printing something long and thin, or tall and skinny, to make your custom book printing really stand out.
Custom Binding Methods
You can always punch the binding holes yourself, or order books punched without binding. This opens up endless custom book binding opportunities to put a bit more of "you" in your book.
DIY Binding
Rings, ribbons and leather binding ideas
Spiral, comb, 3-hole drilled and wire-o books can be ordered with the holes punched but the binding left off. If you have your own binding machine or specialized binding materials you need to insert by hand, your covers and sheets will arrive ready to go.
Custom Binders and Covers
DocuCopies.com sells standard black and white 3-ring binders. While these are great for formal and business use, you can also hunt for unique, custom 3-ring binders on the Internet.
We've seen specialty binders and book covers made from leather, wood and more. Just order your books with 3-Hole Drilling, No Binders. For other Book types, choose the binding method and request "No binding, punch holes only" in the Job Notes. Contact us for information about hole size, pitch and other details if you're inserting your own binding.
Colored Coils and Wire Bindings
If you're printing books with Spiral or Wire-o binding, try a binding color that compliments (or contrasts) the predominant colors in your cover art.
Spiral Binding Colors
Wire-o (Metal) Binding Colors
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Don't Know What Book Binding to Choose?
Don't sweat it.
Aside from Stapled Booklets (Saddle Stitch Books), you can easily switch between binding types on the order form to compare custom book options and prices.
Corner Rounding
Rounded corners aren't just for children's books. While the softer edges naturally suit playful, kid-friendly titles, corner rounding works just as well any time you want your custom booklet to feel more approachable, durable and polished.
Rounded corners reduce the risk of dog-eared pages and frayed edges, making them a smart choice for menus, training manuals and workbooks that get handled often. The softened look also suits photo books, journals, planners and presentation booklets where a friendlier, less corporate feel is the goal. Many print buyers choose corner rounding simply for the tactile, finished quality it adds to any custom book printing project.
Custom Book Printing FAQ
What's the difference between saddle stitch and spiral binding?
Saddle stitch uses staples along the folded spine and works best for booklets up to about 60 pages. Spiral binding uses a coil that allows the book to lay flat or fold all the way back, and it can handle a much higher page count. If your custom booklet needs to open flat on a table or fold back on itself, spiral is the better choice.
What file format should I submit for my custom booklet?
A print-ready PDF is best. Make sure fonts are embedded and images are at least 300 dpi at final size. If your booklet includes bleed, extend your background elements at least 0.125 inches past the trim line so nothing gets cut off during finishing.
Do you offer perfect binding for custom books?
Yes, perfect binding (the glued, flat-spine binding you see on paperback books) is available for custom books. It gives a professional, bookstore-quality look and is a popular choice for novels, catalogs and larger photo books.
Can the cover and interior pages use different paper stock?
Absolutely. Most custom booklets use a heavier cover stock, such as 100# Cover (Smooth or Gloss) or 12pt C1S, paired with a lighter interior text weight like 28/70# or 32/80#. Mixing stocks helps the cover hold up to handling while keeping the interior pages easy to turn.
What's the minimum and maximum page count for a custom booklet?
Page count limits depend on the binding type. Saddle stitch booklets are typically 60 pages or less, while spiral, wire-o and perfect binding can accommodate much higher page counts. Enter your project details in the order form calculator to see exact limits for your chosen binding.
Can I see a proof before my full order prints?
Yes. We recommend ordering a single printed proof copy first, especially for larger runs. This lets you check colors, binding and layout on the actual paper stock before committing to your full custom book order.
Is custom booklet printing affordable?
Digital printing makes printing custom books easy and affordable at any quantity. Different booklet binding types have their pros and cons. For the most affordable custom booklets, Saddle Stitch Booklets (Stapled Booklets) and Spiral Bound Books are the best option.
Do you print custom planners?
Yes we do. Most custom printed planners are bound with Spiral or Wire-o Binding. These are durable, attractive and allow the most flexibility with page turning and laying your custom planners flat.
What do you recommend for printing family cookbooks?
Family cookbooks are a great way to pass down priceless family secrets. Since they will presumably be used in the kitchen, you will want to protect at least the covers from liquid, grease and other workplace hazards. For this we recommend either laminated covers, waterproof/tearproof covers, or a clear plastic cover with a vinyl backing.
If you want to create a family cookbook that holds up to years of use and abuse, consider laminting the inside pages, too.
Ready to Print Your Custom Booklets?
Hopefully these ideas got your creative gears turning. If you're ready to go to print, check out our Book Printing and Binding services. Start by choosing the binding type you want, then fill in your job details on the order form for an instant price quote.
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